


you're my sunshine

by titaniaeli



Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Bullying, Falling In Love, Flashbacks, Friendship/Love, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Mental Health Issues, Multi, OT5, Panic Attacks, Polyamory, Self-Esteem Issues, Sick Character, pearl is a kickass sister
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-10
Updated: 2017-04-14
Packaged: 2018-10-17 07:08:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10588968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/titaniaeli/pseuds/titaniaeli
Summary: Five times Jason realized that he’s in love with his teammates, and one time he realized that they loved him back.





	1. even pink have teeth

He didn’t mean to be eavesdropping at all, but the door to the changing room had been left wide open and he was walking past when he recognized Kimberly’s voice. He slowed to a stop, even though he was getting late for detention.

“I didn’t think you would stoop this low after falling from grace, Kim.” He perked up at Amanda Clark’s voice. They have spoken once or twice during an afterparty before, and the girl had a rather distinctive voice – low, but sharp and shrill when excited. “Hanging out with those delinquent boys? Zack Taylor, who hasn’t come to school since the beginning of the year? Jason, who costed us the championship because of his dumb stunt?” His chest clenched with something fierce and he backed further from the door, leaning against one of the lockers. “And that weird guy who blew up his own lunchbox? How about that new girl, whatever is her name. I didn’t think you’re the sort to hang out with people like them.”

Anger flared sharp and hot in his chest, his muscles tensing up. Before he could barge into the room though, Kimberly’s voice rang out clear and annoyed.

“Don’t talk like that about my friends.” She snapped. “I know you’re pissed at me. I know you can’t forgive me, and I’m not expecting any forgiveness from you any time. What I did to you... I was an idiot. I was mean and jealous and stupid when I did that to you. I was wrong.”

He heard her took a deep breath, and when she spoke next, her voice was a low growl.

“I was wrong.” She repeated. “So, if you’re angry with me, then take it out on me. But don’t talk like that about my friends. Zack hasn’t come to school because he has an ailing mother to take care, and the whole damn football team doesn’t rely on Jason. If they can’t win a game just because he’s suspended from playing, then it’s the rest of the team’s problem. And that _weird guy_ is Billy Cranston. He’s wonderful and amazing, and he’s a hundred times smarter than all of us put together. That new girl’s name is Trini, and I’d appreciate it if you call her by her name. And yes, the person I am _now_ is the sort to hang out with people like _them_.”

He stifled a proud smile, feeling the tension seeping out of his shoulders. Kimberly Hart could damn well take care of herself just fine.

He looked up, startled, when he heard feet shuffling before Kimberly ran out, the door swinging shut behind her. She raised her head, meeting his surprised gaze.

“Jason?” She exclaimed.

Then, she looked back into the changing room and grabbed his hand and pulled him along after her. He wanted to ask about detention, but figured that it’s a lost cause by now, since they have already left school grounds. Kimberly didn’t let go of his hand until they reached the mountains.

He was barely winded when they reached, light sweat sticking his shirt collar against the nape of his neck. Sometimes he really loved his new stamina.

“You heard all that.” Kimberly said flatly, releasing his hand. She didn’t turn to look at him.

He felt embarrassment flushed his cheeks a bright pink. He knew he should have continued walking, but he liked to think that after saving the world and confiding their secrets to each other, they were friends. And he was relieved and happy to hear that Kimberly thought them friends as well.

“I’m sorry.” He said quietly.

Kimberly shook her head, her dark, short hair fluttering around her chin. She turned around, looking almost sheepish, her eyes looking at the ground. He didn’t like the defeated look she has on her.

“No, _I’m_ sorry you have to hear that.” She replied.

He stepped towards her, glad when she didn’t move away. He nudged her lightly, giving her a small smile when she looked up.

“You may have lost a friend because of your mistake, but you know that you still have friends at your back, right?” He asked, slightly concerned. “I know you learned your lesson, and the way you handled Amanda... that was pretty badass of you.”

“She shouldn’t have talked shit about you guys.” Kimberly said, shrugging. He was slightly amazed at the utter indifference she regarded towards her actions. She had _defended_ them against her former best friend. He wanted to say that it has been a long time anyone have stood up for him, especially regarding his stunt with the bull prank that led to him flipping his truck over, but after the adrenaline of saving the world had worn off, he was still tentative of his new friendships. The five of them were all very different people, and it was still kind of remarkable they were all at the same place at the wrong time – or right time, if you asked Billy – that led to them gaining superpowers.

“Yeah... pretty badass.” He repeated, grinning.

She gave him a tremulous smile, and he pretended not to see the dampness in her dark eyes. His cheeks were warm and he felt oddly giddy. He always knew that Kimberly was strong, but it was another thing to see her confronting her mistakes head on.

She has always been beautiful – popular cheerleader and queen of the school. They were in the same circle – football players and cheerleaders, but it was weird that they have never talked before, not until that day on the mountains.

He wondered how he looked at this moment – staring at Kimberly Hart, one of his dearest friends. Probably a little awestruck and idiotic. He shook his head, trying to shove all the weird thoughts to the back of his mind. _It’s just admiration_ , he thought, even though his heart was beating a little too fast in his chest.


	2. the legacy of a girl unafraid

“Alright, I’ll see you guys at Billy’s after school.” Trini was already getting out of the car, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

“Hey, wait—” Kimberly called out. “We can just fetch you—”

Trini looked into the car, smiling slightly. “It’s fine. I have to catch up with my Chemistry teacher after school. Don’t bother to wait for me. I don’t know how long it’s going to take.”

Before anyone could say anything else, she slammed the car door shut and bounded into the school. Kimberly stared at the empty spot Trini had been standing at before, a furrow in her brows.

There was something off about that smile, Jason noted. He couldn’t figure out what, but it niggled at the back of his head throughout the day. It struck him with a startling familiarity, although he doesn’t have a name to it yet.

“What’s wrong with you?” Zack asked, peering at his face.

“You looked distracted.” Billy nodded.

He shook his head and smiled weakly at them, brushing off their concerns with a pathetic excuse of coursework and studies. He could tell that they do not believe him, but when Zack tried to push, Billy elbowed him discreetly in the rib.

“Is Trini really not coming?” Was the first thing out of Kimberly’s mouth when she saw the three of them approaching. His lips twitched in amusement, at how blatant her concern for Trini was. It was great seeing how close the two girls had become, although he felt occasionally envious when he saw how well they worked together. Sometimes it’s like they were talking with their gazes alone, a thousand words in their eyes, and it felt uncomfortably intimate to witness them. He felt like an intruder, and he didn’t want to admit how lonely he felt to see how completely smitten they were with each other.

“She told us to leave first.” Billy said, looking like someone has kicked his puppy.

Kimberly bit her bottom lip, but finally nodded, getting into the car. He patted down his sides, frowning when he realized something was missing.

“Shit, guys, I left my phone in the classroom.” He sighed. “Wait here.”

He turned and ran back into the school, making sure to keep his jogging pace light and slow. The corridors were mostly emptied out. It was a Friday and everyone had been eager to head home straight after school to enjoy the upcoming weekend.

He skidded to a stop when he spotted a very familiar figure in front. Trini was standing in front of her locker, rubbing furiously at the metal door with a ragged cloth in her hand. She stiffened when she heard footsteps and she spun around with wide, panicked eyes.

He was too busy staring at the words scrawled on her locker to notice her reaction.

_‘Loser!’ ‘Freak!’ ‘Get out of the school!’_

Bile crawled up his throat, disgust and fury warring with each other. Suddenly, all the missing bits of the puzzle seemed to fall together. Trini avoiding them in school, and not leaving school with them in the car, all the various excuses that everyone could tell was false but none of them had wanted to tackle the growing problem in front of their eyes. Even Kimberly was trying to give her space, but Jason knew now that space was _not_ what Trini needed. He finally understood the smile she had given them this morning. He saw that bitter smile looking back at him in the mirror every morning after that stupid bull prank, when he realized that no one wanted to be friends with a criminal with an ankle monitor. When he realized that his friends have abandoned him after being kicked off the football team.

“Jas...” Trini’s voice broke slightly.

He bit back his anger and gently took the cloth from her. He dipped the cloth into the pail of water at her feet and silently scrubbed her locker clean. Trini doesn’t know how to deal with his silence, and she looked vaguely unsettled.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” He said abruptly, after he’s sure that the words were finally gone. He dumped the dirty cloth into the pail.

“It wasn’t important.” Trini scowled, and he could see her flimsy attempts in throwing up her shields. He refused to let her blocked them out again.

“It is important. You are our _friend_.” He emphasized, wishing that there’s a more physical way he could beat that into her head. Like flinging her down a gorge as Kimberly did. He pointed at her locker angrily, ruthless energy thrumming through his limbs. “And _this_? This is not acceptable. You should have told us about this.”

“And what will you do?” She retorted, shoulders up to her chin in defensiveness. “Hunt down the culprits and threaten them? We can’t use our powers for our own gain, remember?”

“No one says we’re beating anyone up.” He shot back. “But just because shit like this happens—” He glared at her locker as if it offended him. “Doesn’t means you have to deal with this alone.”

She stared at him.

“It’s—It’s not the same thing, but I know how it feels like to be alone and alienated.” A lump in his throat caused him to stammer, and he took a deep breath to calm himself. “So, I know how much it hurts— and I don’t want my friends to feel this way—as if there’s no one there for them.”

Trini remained silent, but he has a feeling that he has won this round.

“So, are you still coming to Billy’s with us?” He asked. “Or are you going to insist heading over alone?”

A brief spark of fire in her eyes, and he had to smother a smile at her glare of irritation.

“I’ll come with you.” She muttered, gathering up her books. A chuckle choked in his throat and he quickly looked away to hide his amusement.

They went to retrieve his phone in the classroom before walking towards his car together. Trini was quiet the entire time, so he nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt her small hand slipping into his. He froze, not daring to breathe, and glanced down at her. She was stubbornly avoiding his gaze, and he felt his heart stumbled over a beat. Something gentle and warm settled over his shoulders at the display of trust. He squeezed her hand reassuringly, and they walked back to their friends together.


	3. know I am a wildfire, but I can be soft as gladiolus

_‘Need ur help. pls buy tylenol otw over. Can’t leave the trailer and leave my mom alone.’_

He quickly texted back an affirmative and popped into the pharmacy. Zack’s mother was bedridden at home, and her ill health meant that her immune system was unable to fight off common sicknesses. She’s prone to falling ill easily.

He grabbed two bottles of tylenol off the counter, just in case. And because he wanted to, he picked up some water bottles and other necessities that Zack would probably not appreciate. But if Zack doesn’t want him buying _‘unnecessary’_ things, he shouldn’t have texted Jason.

He made his way to the trailer, skipping his car. Living all the way out in the mountains made things much easier. No one around to see Jason running with superhuman speed.

He spotted Zack pacing back and forth in front of the trailer, twining his hands nervously together. It was such an uncharacteristic emotion on the normally cocky boy’s face that he found himself at a loss of words when he approached the trailer.

“Jay Jay,” There was that infuriating nickname – or _one of_ the nicknames that Zack had apparently taken a fancy today. “Thank you so much! Mom woke up with a splitting headache and she’s been nauseated the whole morning and she couldn’t eat through the pain and then I realized we have run out of all those pain medicines—”

“Alright, _breathe_.” He commanded, grabbing Zack’s shoulders. “Here you go.”

He shoved the bag of necessities into Zack’s hands. Zack glanced into the bag, looking up with a small frown. But he didn’t say anything as he turned and dashed back into the trailer.

Jason followed behind the other boy, looking around the small home. It wasn’t the first time he’s been inside the trailer, and while it was _tiny_ , it was a home. It was Zack and Mrs Taylor’s home, and he wanted to protect this little trailer and its occupants in it. For what it’s worth, at least he knew he has the strength to protect Mrs Taylor if any more of those ‘enemies’ that Zordon claimed would come seeking the Zeo Crystal arrived in their world.

“Take a seat somewhere.” Zack said distractedly, balancing a bowl of hot soup and a glass of water in his hands. The bottle of tylenol was tucked into his back pocket. “I have to feed my mom first.”

“Take your time.” He said quickly.

Zack made a noncommittal noise under his breath and entered his mother’s room. He immediately set the bowl of soup down on the table. Gently, he coaxed his mother to sit up, making soothing noises every time she grimaced in pain.

He leaned against the doorway, staying just out of sight and watched both mother and son quietly. He held his breath at the gentle lines on Zack’s face, the worry in his brown eyes. His hands were painfully tender as he rubbed Mrs Taylor’s back. This was a side of Zack that Jason has never seen before. His heart ached as he studied the scene, wishing he could do more for his friend.

Mrs Taylor lay back onto the pillows, opening her mouth slightly as Zack fed her spoonful after spoonful of soup. He had to cajole and plead with her to eat more, until she shook her head and raspily claimed that she’s full.

“不要烦你老妈了.” She complained with a laughing glint in her dark eyes. “我没事的. 你的 _朋友_ 在等你.”

He doesn’t understand Chinese, but he wasn’t comfortable with her playful tone and her quick glance in his direction.

“如果你答应我你会休息.” Zack replied, pretending not to understand what his mother was hinting at.

“好, 好.” She laughed, sliding down.

Zack grinned and stood up, leaning over slightly to press a kiss against her cheek. Slowly, he cleared the half-empty bowl and left the glass of water behind. He closed the door quietly behind him, lifting his gaze to Jason’s.

“Hey... thanks.” He smiled. “I know I already said that, but thank you. Kim and Trini is at the movies and I didn’t want to disturb them... and Billy’s house is too far.”

“Hearing you say thank you to me for the first time ever is enough for me.” Jason smirked. And being granted with the privilege to catch Zack in such a vulnerable position. He felt strangely honoured.

Less than a month ago, they were punching each other across the Pit.

“Well,” Zack shrugged, sighing out loud in exaggeration. “Try to savour that for as long as you can. I’m not saying that again.”

He rolled his eyes, unsurprised that Zack was back to his usual cocky self. It was one thing he liked about Zack; his ability to bounce back from any adversity.

“I’m going to prepare dinner.” Zack said, clearing his throat. He looked almost nervous, and it caught Jason’s attention instantly. “Do you want to stay?”

“Yeah,” He blinked, feeling an uncontrollable smile gracing his face. “Sure.”

“Great!” Zack smiled hugely, his eyes bright. “Come on, it’s more fun to do this together.”

Zack brushed past him to enter the kitchen, and it wasn’t a dream when he felt a warm, calloused hand sliding over his arm to grip his elbow in gratitude. Even after Zack let go, he could still feel the imprint of his fingers on his elbow, almost searing under his jacket.

He wasn’t sure of his peculiar reaction, or the way his eyes lingered on Zack’s back, but he felt that today’s events had given him the chance to know his friend better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation:
> 
> 不要烦你老妈了. - stop bothering your old mother.  
> 我没事的. 你的朋友在等你. - i'm fine. your friend is waiting for you.  
> 如果你答应我你会休息. - only if you promise me you will rest.  
> 好, 好. - okay, okay.


	4. down the rabbit hole

_“Are you crazy?!”_ Billy started screaming the moment they broke through the surface of the water. He was shaking Jason’s shoulders frantically, his voice going shrill right next to his ear. “That was completely _reckless_!”

“Stop, Billy—” He coughed, rubbing water from his eyes. “Let’s get out of the lake first.”

He slipped free of Billy’s hold, wading out of the lake. His jeans were soaked through and they dragged down under his hips. His shirt was plastered against his skin, and his hair darkened against his forehead. He regretted his impulsive decision to jump off the cliff with his clothes on.

“What were you doing?” Billy demanded, trudging after him.

He didn’t look back and continued hiking back up the mountain to retrieve his bag and jacket on the cliff top.

“Swimming.” He answered, squinting his eyes as he looked up. The sun was setting behind the trees, turning their surrounding a soft orange glow. “Spotted Kim jumping off the cliff a few months back. It looks fun. I thought to try it out.”

“It’s reckless.” Billy said under his breath. “I thought you were—” He abruptly fell silent, and stopped walking.

He froze as well, turning around slowly to look at his friend.

“You know we can’t die from that height, right?” He said softly. “Even... _before_. Before we acquired... superpowers.” Billy averted his gaze, and his heart unexpectedly clenched in pain at the glimpse of distress in the other boy’s eyes. He stepped forward with a hand extended tentatively. “Billy, we throw ourselves down the gorge to get to the ship.”

“I know.” Billy muttered, scuffing his wet shoes against the soil. “It’s... different.”

He bit his lip in concern, wanting to push, but knowing that Billy would flee if he pushed him too hard.

“Billy, I wasn’t trying to kill myself.” He said gently.

Something strangled and stifled escaped Billy’s lips.

“Sorry, I panicked.” Billy explained, making a soft, hiccupping sound in his throat. “When I saw you going under the water and not coming back up... I thought you drowned.” He shuddered, his eyes going unfocused, as if he’s trapped in a terrible memory. “It’s scary. It’s cold and dark down there. The harder you tried to breathe, the more it hurts. Until... Until—”

“Enough.” He said roughly, moving forward to wrap his arms around his friend.

He knew Billy has nightmares of his death, but he didn’t think of the other side effects. He should have known. He still has flashbacks of his truck flipping over and the taste of blood in his mouth every time a car alarm set off all of a sudden. His leg would ache like it was being broken all over again.

“I’m sorry for frightening you.” He said quietly. “I won’t do it again.”

He thought of Billy, hesitating to jump down the gorge the first time after his resurrection. He thought of how panicked he looked when he finally jumped and hit the water and how he immediately came up frantically for air. Even now, Billy was still a little leery around large source of water.

And Billy had jumped down after him, despite his fear of water.

“No, you said it was fun, right?” Billy asked, shaking his head. “I was just caught off guard. Just... warn a guy next time if you’re going to do something like that, okay?”

His heart swelled at the small grin directed towards him. A warm hand was curved around the base of his spine, safe and reassuring. He promptly noticed how close they were, and how wet Billy was. It should have led to dirtier thoughts – as a teenager male, but all he could see was the droplets clinging to Billy’s dark lashes, the slope of his nose, the brightness and familiarity of that grin, the tight curls forming over his head from the water, and how utterly doomed he was.

It was so easy to love Billy Cranston.

Suddenly, he has the insane thought of leaning over to kiss his friend. A thought that was quickly stomped down as he felt a flush spread over his cheeks.

“Yeah, sure.” He said hoarsely.


	5. looks at them like maybe they are magic

Like most love stories – and Jason does **_not_** enjoy the occasional trashy romance novels in his spare time, the realization came to him out of nowhere. One second he was laughing with his friends, the next it felt like someone had hit him over the head with a bat.

They were sitting around the campfire, trading stories and stupid pun jokes (read: Zack), roasting marshmallows over the dancing flames, when Jason came to a startling conclusion.

Kimberly and Trini were leaning against each other, hair tucked behind each ear like a reflection as they exchanged tender smiles. Zack was watching Billy with a dopey grin as the latter tried to explain about the phone app he’s currently developing.

He felt relaxed and light, like he’s floating in the clouds. All the tension and the worries, the fluctuating relationship he has with his father, and the constant well of loneliness and darkness he’s usually drowning in have been left behind at home. Up here, in the mountains, with his friends, he was happier than he has ever felt before.  

He looked at their faces, studying the lines and emotions etched in their visages. Something in his chest goes _oh dear, there they are._ His mouth went dry, and even as his heartbeats sped up behind his ribcage, he felt strangely serene.

Panicking silently at his sudden realization, he tried to keep his expression bland – even if he felt like his entire world was collapsing beneath his feet.

Suddenly, he was _aware_. Everything that he had taken note of but did not thought much of it, bursting to life. The little hiccup Trini made before she laughed, the tiny smile that flashed across Kimberly’s face whenever Billy clapped his hands in excitement, the sigh of exasperation Zack made when Trini shot him a snarky remark in response.

He’s so dead.

* * *

He went home early that night, ignoring his team’s concerned glances. He couldn’t stand their concern, or the way they looked at him. Not tonight. Not when he’s feeling too full in his chest at the moment.

Not when he just realized he’s in love with _four_ fucking people.

He slammed the door behind him, tossing his bag onto his bed. He could feel the panic trying to rip its way out of his chest, unforgiving and vicious. He took several deep breaths, but he could still feel the hysterical tremble in his hands.

It hasn’t happened for a long time, not since he became a Power Ranger, but it still felt as shitty as it did before.

He felt a small hand on his cheek and he flinched back, throwing up his hands in surprise to shield himself. He looked up to see his sister’s bewildered eyes staring down at him.

“Hey, it’s just me.” Pearl said quietly, staying as still as a rabbit under the gaze of a predator – or a frightened, disorientated prey.

“Sorry.” He muttered, forcing himself to put his hands down.

Pearl smiled, but worry danced in her eyes. She gingerly sat down beside him, reaching out for his hand. She has small hands, long fingers with stubby tips. And they were warm when they gripped his hand, tight and assuring.

“What happened?” She asked.

He doesn’t think he has ever been asked the most difficult question of his life.

“I think... I think I’m in love.” He said, and then choked. Because how do you tell your own sister that you loved four people?

Pearl blinked hard, her lips twitching, and he could tell that she’s trying to contain her excitement. She could see that her brother was struggling.

“So, what’s the problem?” She asked, and then immediately she frowned, brows furrowed. “She... She doesn’t like you back?”

“Something like that.” He sighed. “But that’s not the problem.”

Pearl arched a brow at him. “Unrequited love is not the problem here? Is there some tragic backstory to it?”

“You’ve been watching too much TV.” He groaned. “Not every love story has to have some sort of tragic backstory to it. This is reality, not a TV drama.”

“Then what’s the problem?” Pearl asked again.

He looked down at his hands. “I think... I like more than one person.”

Pearl stayed silent, and when he glanced over, her eyes were wide and thoughtful. She bit her lip and he saw realization settled over her expression. He was anxious to know what she’s thinking this badly and he had to resist the urge to shake her.

“Have you told them?” When she finally decided to speak, her voice was calm and curious.

He couldn’t understand why she’s being far calmer than him.

“Obviously not!” He yelped. “It’s... weird, isn’t it?”

Pearl scowled at him, still with the bubble of innocence that spoke of how uncorrupted she was from this shitty, judgemental world.

“Nothing is wrong with loving someone. And _nothing’s_ wrong with having a big heart capable of loving people.” She retorted. “And besides, you might as well start asking them to move in – although mom and dad might have a problem. Your room isn’t big enough to fit four more people. Billy’s always leaving all his weird gadgets around and unless you start wearing female clothes and hasn’t told me, they feel the same way too.”

“What are you talking about?” He stuttered, flustered. “Who says anything about—about Billy?”

Pearl rolled her eyes and snuggled up to his side, hooking her arm with his. She leaned against his shoulder, and he distractedly accommodated her by shifting and letting her curled up beside him.

“You know,” She whispered. “They look at you the same way you look at them.”

He didn’t answer.


	6. touch me gently and I will crack right down in the middle

It was just a silly mistake, when he thought about it later.

He cannot fathom why they had to go through a body of water every time to reach the ship. He would usually leave his school bag at home before heading to the ship for training, but he was late yesterday afternoon and had gone straight to the mountains, forgetting that his homework was inside his bag.

He didn’t realize his homework was soaked and destroyed, until the next day in class. Which he was promptly given detention for.

And which his father was _not_ happy about, when he heard about it. Which led to a fight between the both of them, leaving him on the verge of angry tears and stomping out of the house and Sam screaming behind him.

He wandered aimlessly, not knowing where to go. He didn’t feel like talking to anyone, so going to his teammates was the last thing on his mind. He didn’t go to the ship either, not wanting to endure Alpha or Zordon’s questions, but he headed up the mountains. He just didn’t want to see anyone at the moment, much less an alien stuck in a wall and a talking robot with too much sass.

There was something... freeing, almost peaceful, as he hiked up the mountains with only the chirping of birds and nature as his companions.

He wasn’t sure how long he was here. He had fled his home with nothing but the clothes on his body. His phone must have been left on his table, and he wasn’t wearing his watch when he left the house. The sky was darkening, however, and the sudden crack of thunder above his head startled him.

He must have been too out of it to notice anything but the path in front of him. If Rita Repulsa was to appear and stake him in the back with her golden staff, he probably wouldn’t even notice. He turned back on his trail, cursing silently at the first drop of rain water on his nose.

It took quite a while to find his way back down, and by the time he found the correct path, the rain was starting to pour quite heavily.

 _It was good while it lasted_ , he mused, although he doesn’t feel very charitable at the moment with his hair sticking against his forehead and his clothes clinging to his skin. He shielded his eyes with a hand, trying to focus on the grassy trail in front of him… and completely missed the edge around the corner of a straggly bush. His boot was caught around the tangled weeds, and he felt his foothold caved in.

He cried out in surprise as the soil sank under his foot. Then the ground rumbled and collapsed beneath him. He started freefalling, and barely had the time to fold his body protectively before he hit ground and rolled the rest of the way down.

“Oh shit...” He swore, grimacing as he shifted onto his back.

The heavy rain must have triggered a landslide, and he was just unlucky enough to be the catalyst of the collapse.

A normal person would have broken their back, or their neck, and while his whole body felt achy and protested when he tried to move, he was completely fine. Perks of being a superhero, he thought.

He forced himself to sit up and move, even though his arm felt funny. Better move before the landslide worsened. He thought of morphing into his armour to get away, but remembered Zordon’s rules.

He did it anyway.

No Red Ranger around to save the world if he’s dead, not that he’s a good superhero anyway. But his power coin would probably just be transferred to someone worthier.

He only released his armour when he reached the bottom of the mountains, cautious of any human being around. He cursed once again as he stumbled immediately. His ankle burned like it was being shoved into a burning flame.

“Great.” He sighed, closing his eyes for patience.

It was starting to become a bad day. Or, a much worse day than before.

He took a few minutes to orient himself before limping into the city. It was going to be a _long_ walk back home.

* * *

“Jas!” He must be hallucinating from the pain and exhaustion, because Trini was racing up to him with frantic worry in her eyes.

The rain must be fucking with his head.

He hadn’t thought the rain would get any worse, but it felt like he was being drowned on land. Literally. His wet clothes were dragging heavily on his body, and every time he breathed, he spluttered and coughed as he inhaled water.

“Jas!” Trini yelled in his face. “Where the hell did you go?!”

The hands on his shoulders was _not_ a hallucination.

Behind her, he could make out the rest of his team running up to them.

“We have been looking for you for hours!” Kimberly scowled, although her expression was fraught with panic and worry. “You didn’t answer our calls and texts since this morning!”

Shit, he couldn’t be a pain in the ass alone, could he? He had to be such a burden to his friends as well...

“About that...” He laughed hoarsely, and then he stumbled right into Kimberly’s arms. His vision whited out momentarily, his ankle screaming in pain. His ankle gave under his weight and he buckled from his loss of balance.

Zack swooped forward, catching him around the waist. Billy held his blue umbrella above their heads, trying to shelter him from the heavy rain.

“Okay, his skin’s rather cold and I don’t think it’s just from the rain.” Zack warned. “We have to get him indoors now.”

“My house.” Billy said immediately. “It’s the nearest.”

He shoved his umbrella towards Zack, bending down to catch Jason on his back. He loved his newfound strength. He wouldn’t be able to carry Jason with such ease before. As Trini shifted their leader onto his back, he staggered slightly. No surprise, considering the dead weight. Jason seemed to give up on maintaining his strength any longer.

Mrs Cranston greeted them with concerned eyes as they entered Billy’s house. She stared at the five sopping teenagers in bewilderment, taking note of the semi-conscious boy on her son’s back. Then she steeled herself, commanding Billy to lay Jason down on the bed and ordering the others to change out of their wet clothes with a firm look that sent them scurrying to obey.

Jason gasped in surprise as the movement jolted his ankle. His arm had gone stiff by his side and he’s shivering violently in his clothes.

“Come on, dear.” Mrs Cranston murmured. “Let’s get you out of those wet clothes.”

He was too tired to protest or feel embarrassed as she helped him out of his wet shirt and jeans.

“Change into this.” She came back with a pile of fresh clothes. “These are Billy’s old clothes.”

Billy came back into the room with dry clothes and damp hair, hurrying over to pull the shirt over his head. His lashes fluttered as he felt Billy’s fingers running through his hair, fighting the urge to moan.

“Hey, Mrs Cranston,” Trini called out hesitantly, peering into the room. She was dressed in one of Billy’s old shirt, loose and long enough to reach the middle of her thighs. Billy’s eyes widened slightly when he spotted her. “Um, do you have any pain meds? Like, ibuprofen?”

“Yes, luckily, I have stocked them enough in our first aid kit. You sure he shouldn’t be heading to the hospital?” Mrs Cranston asked, glancing at him in concern.

“No, we would like to take care of him ourselves.” Kimberly said firmly, entering the room with a makeshift ice pack.

“Alright then.” Mrs Cranston sighed, her gaze flitting over the five teenagers with a strange look in her eyes. She left the room with a pat on her son’s shoulder, closing the door behind her.

“You’ve done it now, Jay.” Zack teased, moving towards the bed. He leaned over, grabbing him gently around his waist to hoist him up the bed. Trini shoved a pillow under his swollen ankle, her fingers dancing lightly over the reddened skin.

“Sorry.” He murmured, stiffening slightly as Kimberly cautiously dabbed the ice pack on his ankle.

He felt ashamed and guilty, his heart clenching in his chest. His father was right; he’s always causing trouble. He wished he could control himself better and stopped worrying others. Wished he could stopped bothering people.

“Hey, you’re having that look again.” Kimberly said softly, resting the ice pack on his ankle to crawl over to his side.

“What look?” He asked dryly.

He felt Billy’s hand lifting his chin, and a lump formed in his throat at the gentle look in the other boy’s dark eyes.

“The look you have when you’re overthinking things.” Billy informed.

Trini poked him lightly in his thigh. “What happened, Jas?”

“I had a fight with my dad.” He admitted, his voice cracking in shame.

Zack’s hand brushed over his shoulder and cradled his neck.

“It’s stupid.” He muttered, averting his gaze.

Kimberly reached over idly to turn over the ice pack. Her fingers tapped on his calf, exposed from where Billy’s sweatpants had ridden up his leg. He suppressed a shiver from her feathery touch.

“Not stupid.” Zack disagreed, giving him a strange look. “It’s okay to be upset.”

“Yeah, god knows how many times I have gotten into a fight with my parents.” Trini said bitterly. She shook her head and curled up next to him, small and warm in the crook of his arm.

“I’m sorry for worrying all of you.” He said softly.

Zack ruffled his hair fondly, lips quirked up in mirth, but his eyes flickered with worry. “Try terrified, Jay Jay.”

“Angel Grove news reported a landslide up in the mountains. We couldn’t find you for hours and then it started to pour. We know how much you like to go up the mountains.” Billy whispered.

Way to make him feel even more guilty.

He curled his hand around Billy’s hip, trying to convey his apology.

“Don’t ever do this to us again.” Kimberly’s voice was hushed and tinged with fear. Something warm bloomed in his chest, and he glanced down to see that same peculiar look in her eyes – the same he just saw in Zack’s, in Trini’s when she ran up to him in the rain, in Billy’s when he thought he drowned. 

His heart jolted.

“I really, really like you guys.” He whispered in response.

Trini goes still beside him.

“During that fight with Amanda... I thought to myself before that I would do anything to get back to her good graces. To gain her forgiveness... but after the way she talked shit about you guys...” Kimberly said, her voice shaking slightly. “I thought – no, I _know_ that I would rather give her up than to hear anyone badmouth you guys again.”

“I was scared.” Trini divulged abruptly, not looking at any of them. “I didn’t want to come to school. People were talking shit about me... but most importantly, they were talking shit about you guys for hanging out with me – that weirdo loner whose name no one could remember.”

He bit back the flicker of fury, seeing the same anger mirrored on the rest of his team’s faces.

“I guess since we’re revealing all our deepest, darkest secrets, I should contribute as well.” Zack grinned, turning to give him an oddly serious look that sent a shiver down his spine. “When I texted you to buy tylenol for my mom and you came back with a bunch of extra stuffs, I really wanted to kiss you.”

His mouth went dry, a flush of red spreading across his cheeks.

Kimberly giggled, although she quickly stifled the sound behind a hand. But Trini looked up with a catlike smirk, wriggled her brows and Kimberly broke. The two girls collapsed into laughter. His lips twitched into a small smile, and he looked up to see Zack’s grin stretched across his face.

“What about you, Blue?” Zack asked playfully. “Any dark secrets to spill?”

“I really like all of you in my clothes.” Billy confessed. The fact he said it with a straight face and with such an earnest expression made them all blushed simultaneously.

“Dorks.” Trini smirked.

He laughed, feeling strangely lightheaded once he got the confession off his chest.

“Kids?” Mrs Cranston peered in, raising a thin brow at all of them huddled in Billy’s bed. “I got the ibuprofen.”

“Thanks, mom.” Billy murmured, taking the pills and glass of water from her. He pressed a quick kiss on her cheek, before he awkwardly kicked the door closed.

“Take your meds, Jason.” Kimberly said quietly, running her hand up and down his arm.

He obediently swallowed down the pills, washing them down with water. Billy dimmed the lights and climbed into bed with them.

“You know we love you, right?” Kimberly asked, her dark hair tickling his ear as she leaned in.

He felt his heart skipped a beat once more. He’s not sure why they would love someone like him, but he knew one thing. One constant fact that kept him afloat. _He_ loved them. He does. He does. He does. Sometimes, far too much. 

Instead of answering Kimberly, he let sleep tugged him into dreamland, not noticing his team shifting closer in the bed.


End file.
